Splenic Hamartoma: A Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Two cases of splenic hamartoma are described. Both cases occurred in women in their fifties and presented as vague abdominal symptoms. Case 1 was a large solitary hamartoma, 6.5 cm in size and hypervascular mass angiographically. No white pulp with germinal centers or central arterioles were seen in the mass. Instead, a mass of red pulp with well-formed sinuses, often exhibiting active endothelial cells, were the predominent feature, scattered with lymphoid nodules. Extramedullary hemopoieses was meager. Case 2 was an example of multiple (3) hamartomas that showed extraordinary extramedullary hemopoiesis particularly in the mass itself. The proliferative megakaryocytes were quite atypical, and in areas they mimicked the neoplastic process. There was evidence of compression of normal parenchyma by the hamartomatous masses both grossly and microscopically. It seems true that the histological features of splenic hamartoma can vary from case to case and that one should pay particular attention to these lesions so that they are not misinterpreted as true neoplastic processes.